Slatwall with hanger securement track

ABSTRACT

The present invention pertains to a slatwall extrusion and assembly that supportably secures a hanger, shelf bracket or other hardware. The slatwall extrusion has a board with a downwardly facing lip that combines with a lower like-shaped board to form a uniform longitudinal slot that receives the upper end of a mounting bracket for the hardware. The lip of each board has a track with rim to form an upwardly facing groove. The track receives and supportably secures the lower end of the bracket. The lower end of lip and the track are spaced apart a predetermined uniform distance. The bracket snap fits over the rim and into the groove so that the bracket is securely held by and between the lip and the track. An embodiment of the invention takes the form of an extruded slatwall rail having an upper lip and a lower board with the track.

This is a Continuation-In-Part of Design Patent Application Nos.29/200,780 and 29/200,781 filed Mar. 4, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Slatwall is used to support or display a wide variety of products in anorganized manner. The slatwall is typically mounted flush against awall, and is particularly useful in retail stores, garages and the likewhere goods or items need to be displayed or stored, and a more finishedlook is desired but bulky cabinets or conventional shelving areinappropriate due to lack of space. Slatwall includes a number ofhorizontal boards or slats. Adjacent slats are spaced apart a givendistance to form a number of uniform, horizontal slots. The slots areevenly spaced, one above the other, through the height of the slatwall.A number of hangers or supporting hardware are secured to the slatwallby inserting them into the slots. The hangers are generally cantileveredfrom the slatwall so that items can be hung from or supported by thehangers. The hangers or hardware can also be used to support a platformfor displaying or storing smaller items such as shoes, packagedfasteners or the like.

A problem with conventional slatwall is that the supporting hardware canbe dislodged. When people walk by slatwall or quickly reach for an itemon the slatwall, they can inadvertently bump one or more of the hangerswith enough force to rotate and dislodge the hanger and cause it and theitem it supports to fall to the ground. This can be particularlyfrustrating and embarrassing to customers and storekeepers in a retailstore setting, and can damage the goods being displayed. When theslatwall is supporting heavy or sharp objects such as shovels, racks,saws, and the like as in a garage setting, the falling objects can causeinjury. When many items are hung or supported by the slatwall atdifferent heights and a person bumps one of the upper hangers, acascading effect can result with several pieces of hardware and objectsfalling to the ground.

Another problem with conventional slatwall hangers is the unreliablenature with which they grip the slatwall. Only a small portion of thehanger typically engages the slatwall to keep it from falling to theground. Frequently, only one eighth (⅛) inch of the rim of the hangerengages the slatwall to prevent the hanger from rotating forward andfalling to the ground. This small contact area produces concentratedstresses on the hanger and slatwall. These stresses can bend the rim ofthe metal or plastic hanger and cause the hanger to rotate forward orotherwise pop out of its supporting slot and fall to the ground.Similarly, these concentrated stresses can bend, chip or break theslatwall and cause the hanger to rotate forward and out of its slot.Normal wear and tear on the slatwall and the hangers can cause theassembly to function unreliably because the hangers are more easilydislodged and knocked from place during use. Hangers with slightly bentor worn rims will no longer grip the portions of some or all of theslots, particularly if the lip is worn or chipped. Wood slatwall isparticularly problematic because the edges of the lips of the boardforming the slot can chip under stress or through normal wear and tear,which permanently damages the slatwall so that hangers will continue topop out at the damaged location. Slight variations in the uniformity ofthe slots due to manufacturing tolerances and installation error alsocause the hangers to grip the slatwall less reliably in certain areas ofthe assembly.

A further problem with conventional slatwall is that it can be difficultto rearrange the hangers and the items being displayed or stored on theslatwall. More permanent type fasteners such as nails or screws thatsecure the hangers to the slatwall need to be removed. This is acumbersome process that damages the slatwall. Adding or removing evenone hanger and item to the slatwall can require the removal andreattachment of several hangers. Repeated rearrangements of the hangersultimately causes physical and aesthetic damage to the slatwall.Replacing or repairing the slatwall results in extra expenses and downtime.

The present invention is intended to solve these and other problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a slatwall extrusion and assembly thatsupportably secures a hanger, shelf bracket or other hardware. Theslatwall extrusion has a board with a downwardly facing lip thatcombines with a lower like-shaped board to form a uniform longitudinalslot that receives the upper end of a mounting bracket for the hardware.The lip of each board has a track with rim to form an upwardly facinggroove. The track receives and supportably secures the lower end of thebracket. The lower end of lip and the track are spaced apart apredetermined uniform distance. The bracket snap fits over the rim andinto the groove so that the bracket is securely held by and between thelip and the track. A stiffening web is used to strengthen the lip. Anembodiment of the invention takes the form of an extruded slatwall railhaving an upper lip and a lower board with the track. The hardware iseasily positioned along the slatwall by sliding it along the track.

One advantage of the present slatwall extrusion is that it reliablysecures the hardware or hanger to the slatwall. The track and groovesecure the lower end of the hardware, and prevent the lower end fromrotating forward into a release position. By securing the lower end, thetrack helps prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the hardware, as well asany shelving or goods being supported by that hardware. The hardwareremains in place even if inadvertently bumped by a person walking by theslatwall display assembly or a person reaching to grab an item hangingor otherwise supported by the slatwall. The track significantly improvesthe overall performance and satisfaction of the slatwall assembly.Displayed and stored goods are kept in place and are less likely to bedamaged. Customers and storekeepers do not need to keep picking upslatwall hardware and display items, and heavy or sharp items are lesslikely to fall and injure people.

Another advantage of the present slatwall extrusion invention is itsincreased contact area between the upper end of the hanger bracket andthe lip of the slatwall. This increased contact area improves thestrength and reliability of the extruded slatwall, assembly and rail.The track lifts the mounting bracket so that its upper end rises in theslot to increase the contact area between the upper end of the bracketand the lip of the slatwall. A full half (½) inch of the bracket engagesthe inside surface of the lip of the upper board. This increased contactarea reduces the stresses on the lip, the surrounding portions of theslatwall, and the bracket so that they do not bend and allow the hangerto pop out of the slot during use. As a result, much heavier objects canbe more reliably hung or supported from hardware or hangers without riskthat they will pop out during use, even if inadvertently bumped.

A further advantage of the present slatwall extrusion invention is thathangers can be easily secured in place, rearranged and removed. Themounting bracket of a piece of hardware is easily snap-fit in placebetween the cooperating lip, slot and track. The uniform spacing of thelongitudinally extending lip, slot and track allow the hangers, shelvingbrackets and other hardware to slide horizontally along the length ofthe slatwall and assembly so that they can be positioned or repositionedat a desired location without removing and resecuring them. The mountingbracket snap fits in place without the need of any tools. The hangersare easily removed from the slatwall with a screwdriver or other similarflat headed tool, or they can be slid off the end of the slatwall orassembly. No nails or screws are required to secure the hardware to theslatwall, so the slatwall remains physically sound and aestheticallypleasing even after many rearrangements of the display items.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponmaking reference to the specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slatwall assembly formed by severalhorizontal sections of slatwall with hangers such as hocks and shelfbrackets that are secured in place to the slatwall invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a slatwall extrusion forming twoadjacent boards, where each board forms a lower lip that includes asupport track.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly with a hangersecured to a slot formed by adjacent boards with the hanger securedbetween the lower lip of the upper board and the track of the lowerboard.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly formed by afirst alternate embodiment of the slatwall extrusion with a stiffeningweb in the lip and the track extending from the web and offset from thelower end of its lip.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly formed by asecond alternate embodiment of the slatwall extrusion with thestiffening web in the lip and the track extending from the lower end ofits lip.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a single board embodiment of thepresent slatwall extrusion invention.

FIG. 6B is a side sectional view of the single board embodiment shown inFIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a side sectional view of the single board embodiment of FIG.6A with a stiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending fromthe web.

FIG. 6D is a side sectional view of the single board embodiment of FIG.6A with the stiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending fromthe lower end of its lip.

FIG. 7A is a side sectional view of a three-board embodiment of thepresent slatwall extrusion invention.

FIG. 7B is a side sectional view of the three-board embodiment with astiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending from the web.

FIG. 7C is a side sectional view of the three-board embodiment with thestiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending from the lowerend of its lip.

FIG. 8A is a side sectional view of a four-board embodiment of thepresent slatwall extrusion invention.

FIG. 8B is a side sectional view of the four-board embodiment with astiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending from the web andoffset from the lower end of its lip.

FIG. 8C is a side sectional view of the four-board embodiment with thestiffening web in its lower lip and the track extending from the lowerend of its lip.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a backless embodiment of the presentslatwall extrusion invention without a continuous rear wall spanningfrom its upper end to its lower end.

FIG. 9B is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly formed by thebackless embodiment shown in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly formed by thebackless embodiment shown in FIG. 9A with a stiffening web in its lowerlip and the track extending from the web.

FIG. 9D is a side sectional view of the slatwall assembly formed by thebackless embodiment shown in FIG. 9A with the stiffening web in itslower lip and the track extending from the lower end of its lip.

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a rail extrusion incorporating thepresent invention, where the rail includes an upper lip and a lowerboard that are spaced to define the slot, and where the track extendsfrom the lower end of the board.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the rail ofFIG. 10A with a stiffening web in its lower board, and where the trackextends from the web and is offset from the lower end of the board.

FIG. 10C is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the rail of FIG.10A with a stiffening web in its lower board, and where the trackextends from the lower end of the board.

FIG. 11A is a side sectional view of FIG. 10A showing the rail extrusionsecured to a supporting wall and with a hanger positioned for insertioninto its slot.

FIG. 11B is a side sectional view of the rail of FIG. 11A showing thehanger rotated so that its upper end is inserted into the slot of therail.

FIG. 11C is a side sectional view of the rail of FIG. 11B showing thehanger just prior to being snap fit into the track of the rail.

FIG. 11D is a side sectional view of the rail of FIG. 11C showing thehanger after being snap fit to rail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, the drawings show and the specification describes in detail thepreferred embodiments of the invention. It should be understood that thedrawings and specification are to be considered an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention. They are not intended to limit thebroad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

Residential, commercial and industrial buildings typically have walls 5with a number of uniformly spaced vertical studs 6. The studs 6 areusually covered by an outer drywall layer 7 or other covering. Thepresent invention pertains to a slatwall extrusion 10 used to form aslatwall assembly 12 having a number of like-shaped slats or boards 15as generally shown in FIGS. 1-3. Each extrusion 10 has a uniformcross-sectional shape that extends along its length form one side 10 ato the other 10 b. Each board 15 has a generally hollow interior or core15 a. Each extrusion 10 can have a single board 15 as in FIG. 6A or twoor more boards 15 as in FIGS. 2, 7A and 8A. In other words, each board15 can be a separate piece that is individually secured to the wall 5,or a number of integrally joined boards can be included in a singleextrusion 10. The boards 15 of a multi-board extrusion 10 are uniformlyspaced and parallel.

The slatwall assembly 12 is formed by a number of like-shaped extrusions10. The extrusions 10 are horizontally aligned so that each board 15 isuniformly spaced from and is parallel to its adjacent boards. Twoadjacent boards 15 form a working set 16 that includes an upper board 17and a lower board 18. Fasteners 8 or an adhesive coating are used tosecure the slatwall extrusions 10 to the studs 6 or wall covering 7.Screws 8 are preferred for strength and removability. The slatwallassembly 12 and its individual extrusions 10 are used to mount ordisplay a variety of objects off the floor of the building in anorganized manner. The objects can be similar, such as in a display for anumber of shoes, or they can vary in size, shape, weight and type, suchas in a garage to mount shovels, racks, saws, garden tools, etc. Theslatwall extrusions 10 are preferably extruded plastic having a desiredcombination of rigidity, strength, durability, and aesthetic appearance.

Each slatwall extrusion 10 has a rear wall 21 with front and rearsurfaces 21 a and 21 b that span the height of the extrusion. In oneembodiment, the rear wall 21 extends continuously from the top of theextrusion to its bottom as in FIGS. 2 and 3. The continuous rear wall 21includes a segment 22 that forms the rear wall of each board 15 in thatextrusion 10. The rear wall 21 also includes upper and lower tabs 23 and24 that position separate adjacent extrusions 10 into abuttingengagement and horizontal alignment as in FIGS. 1 and 3. The upper tab23 includes an offset 23 a at its upper end to snuggly receive the lowertab 24 of an adjacent extrusion 10. The upper end of tab 23 and thelower end of tab 24 are parallel to the boards 15 of the extrusion. Whenseparate extrusions 10 are properly aligned and secured to a wall 5, theboards 15 of the separate extrusions forming the assembly 12 are insubstantially parallel and horizontal alignment. The tabs 23 and 24 ofseparate adjacent extrusions 10 also combine to form a slot segmentbetween the adjacent boards of separate extrusions as shown in FIG. 3.The rear wall 21 of the multi-board extrusions 10 shown in FIGS. 2, 7Aand 8A 10 have one or more slot forming segments 25 that integrally joinadjacent boards 15 of that extrusion. The single-board 15 extrusion 10shown in FIG. 6A does not include this segment. The extrusions 10 in theassembly 12 are secured to the wall 5 so that the rear surface 21 b ofeach extrusion 10 and board 15 lays flush against the vertical wallstuds 6 or wall covering 7.

Each board 15 in the extrusion 10 and assembly 12 has a substantiallysimilar shape. Each like-shaped board has a front wall 27 with a frontsurface 27 a that is generally parallel to the rear wall 21. The frontwall 27 defines the height or width of the board 15, which is preferablyabout three (3) inches. The front wall 27 also defines the depth orthickness of the board 15, which is preferably about one-half (½) inch.Each like-shaped board 15 also includes opposed upper and lowersidewalls 28 and 29. These walls 21, 27, 28 and 29 combine to define thehollow interior 15 a of the board 15. The upper wall 28 is generallyperpendicular to the front and rear walls 21 and 27. The lower side wall29 extends perpendicularly from the front and rear walls 21 and 27, butincludes an offset to form a lip 30.

The lip 30 is an integral part of its respective board 15. When securedto the wall 5, the lip 30 extends in a downward direction. Each lip 30is formed by a lower portion of the front wall 27 and the bottom wall 29of the board 15. The bottom wall 29 includes a substantially horizontallower end wall 32 with surface 32 a, and has a substantially verticalinner wall 33 with surface 33 a. The lower wall 32 has a width or depthdimension of about one-quarter (¼) inch. The inside wall 33 has a widthor height dimension of about one-half (½) inch. Each lip 30 has agenerally hollow interior 30 a that is part of the hollow interior 15 aof the board 15. For increased rigidity, the lip 30 includes astiffening web 35 that is preferably horizontal or perpendicular therear and front walls 21 and 27 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6C, 6D, 7B, 7C,8B and 8D. Each of the walls 21, 27, 28, 32 and 33 and the web 35 has auniform thickness of about one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch.

Each board 15 includes an outwardly extending track 40 to support apiece of hardware, as discussed below. The track 40 is an integral partof each board 15 and each extrusion 10. Each track 40 extends along thelength of the extrusion 10. Each track 40 is in substantially linearalignment with and is parallel to the lower end 32 of its correspondinglip 30 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6B, 7A and 8A. The track 40 can also bepositioned to extend linearly from the stiffening web 35 as shown inFIGS. 4, 6C, 7B or 8B. Each track 40 includes a horizontal rail 42having a forward end 42 a and an upper surface 42 b. The forward end 42a of the rail 42 has an upwardly extending rib 43. The rib 43 has a tip43 a, a curved outer surface 43 b and a flat vertical inner surface 43c. The rail 42 extends from the front surface 21 a about one-eighth (⅛)inch. The height of the rib 43 is about one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch fromupper surface 42 b to tip 43 a. Similar to the walls of the board 15,the rail 42 has a thickness of about one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch, exceptat its forward end 42 a where the track and rim have a combined heightof about one-eight (⅛) inch. The surface 21 a of the front wall 21 ofthe board 15 combines with the upper surface 42 b of the rail 42 and theinner surface 43 c of the rib 43 to form a groove 45.

Each set 16 of adjacent boards 17 and 18 in the assembly 12 has the samelip/track height. The upper surface 42 b of the track 40 of each lowerboard 15, 18 is spaced a uniform distance from the lower end 32 of thelip 30 of its adjacent upper board 15, 17. The adjacent boards 15 of amulti-board extrusion 10 are integrally formed to have this lip/trackheight. The tabs 23 and 24 of the extrusions 10 are structured and sizedso that when two adjacent extrusions are properly assembled and fastenedto the wall 5, the lowest board 15, 17 of the upper extrusion and theupper board 15, 18 of the adjacent lower extrusion form a working set 16with this lip/track height. In the embodiments shown, the lip/trackheight is about two and five-eights (2-⅝) inches. The lip/track heightis uniform along the length of the extrusion 10 and assembly 12.

Each set 16 of adjacent boards 17 and 18 forms a slot 50 that isgenerally L-shaped when viewed in cross-section as in FIG. 3. Each slot50 extends uniformly along the length of the extrusion 10 and assembly12 from one side 10 a, 12 a to the other 10 b, 12 b. The L-shaped slot50 has a narrow portion 52 and a wide or tall portion 54. The narrowportion 52 forms an opening through the front of the extrusion 10 orassembly 12 between the adjacent boards 15. The narrow portion 52 islocated between the lip 30 of the upper board 17 and the upper sidewall28 of the lower board 18, and more particularly between the plainsformed by the front surface 21 a of the front wall 21 and the insidesurface 33 a of the lip 30. The narrow portion 52 has a width or heightdimension of about three-eighths (⅜) of an inch, and a depth dimensionextending into the slatwall 10 of about one-quarter (¼) inch. The widerportion 54 is located between the inside surface 33 a of the lip 30 andthe rear wall 24. The wider portion 54 has a width dimension of aboutseven-eighths (⅞) inch, and a depth dimension of about one-eighth (⅛)inch. The total depth of the slot 50 is about three-eighths (⅜) inch.Although the slats 15 are shown and described to have only a lower lip30 so as to form an L-shaped slot 50, it should be understood that theupper sidewall 28 of the slat 15 could also have an upwardly extendinglip so as to form a T-shaped slot without departing from the broadaspects of the invention. When the track 40 extends from the lower end32 of the lip 30 as in FIG. 3, the lip/track height is roughly theheight of one board 15 and the narrow portion 52 of one slot 50.

Another embodiment of the slatwall extrusion 90 is shown in FIGS. 9A and9B. In this embodiment, the rear wall 21 does not extend continuouslyfrom the top of the extrusion 90 to its bottom. The segment 22 of therear wall 21 that would otherwise form the rear wall of its board orboards 15 is missing. This backless slatwall extrusion 90 is otherwisegenerally shaped and sized similar to the extrusion 10 having acontinuous rear wall 21. The backless slatwall extrusion 90 can alsoinclude a stiffening web 35 in its lip 30 as in FIGS. 9C and 9D. Thetrack 40 is in parallel alignment with and extend from the stiffeningweb 35 as in FIG. 9C, or is in parallel alignment with and extends fromthe lower end 32 of the lip 30 as in FIGS. 9B and 9D. Although notshown, the upper and lower tabs 23 and 24 of the rear wall 21 can havethe structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or the structure shown in FIGS. 9Aand 9B.

A further embodiment of the invention is an extruded slat rail 100 shownin FIGS. 10A-C. The slat rail 100 has a continuous rear wall 121, alower board 126 and an upper lip 130. The rear wall 121 has front andrear surfaces 121 a and 121 b. The rear wall 121 spans the height of theextruded rail and extends continuously from the top of the extrusion toits bottom. The rear wall 121 includes a segment 122 that forms the rearwall of its board 126 and a segment 125 that forms the rear wall of itscorresponding slot 50. The board 126 has a front wall 127 with a frontsurface 127 a that is generally parallel to the rear wall 121. The frontwall 127 defines the height or width of the board 126, which ispreferably about two and three-eighths (2-⅜) inches. The front wall 127also defines the depth or thickness of the board 126, which ispreferably about one-half (½) inch. The board 126 includes opposed upperand lower sidewalls 128 and 129 that are generally perpendicular to thefront and rear walls 121 and 127. These walls 121, 127, 128 and 129combine to define the hollow interior 126 a of the board 126. The railextrusion 100 is secured to the wall 5 so that its rear surface 121 band board 126 lay flush against the vertical wall studs 6 or wallcovering 7.

The lip 130 is integrally joined to the board 15 via the slot formingsegment 125 of the rear wall 121 and a spacer wall 137 that extendsforward a distance of about one-eighth (⅛) inch. When secured to thewall 5, the lip 130 extends in a downward direction. The lip 130 isformed by a front wall 131 with a front surface 131 a, a lower end wall132 with a surface 132 a, an inside wall 133 with an inside surface 133a, and an upper sidewall 134. The bottom wall 132 has a width or depthdimension of about one-quarter (¼) inch. The inside wall 133 has a widthor height dimension of about one-half (½) inch. Each lip 130 has agenerally hollow interior 130 a.

The track 40 of the rail 100 has the same structure discussed above. Theoutwardly extending track 40 is an integral part of the rail 100 andextends the length of the rail. The track 40 is in substantially linearalignment with and is parallel to the bottom sidewall 129 of its board126 as shown in FIG. 10A. The board 126 can include a horizontalstiffening web 35 as shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C. The track 40 can bepositioned to extend from the stiffening web 135 as shown in FIG. 10B orthe bottom sidewall 129 of the board as in FIG. 10C. The components anddimensions of the track are similar to those discussed above. Each wall121, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133 and 134 of the extruded rail 100 aswell as its track rail 42 has a uniform thickness of about one-sixteenth( 1/16) inch. Again, the lip/track height is the distance between theupper surface 42 b of the track 40 and the lower end 132 of the lip 130.This lip/track height remains substantially constant along the length ofthe rail 100.

Hangers 60 are supportably secured by the cooperating lip 30, 130, track40 and slot 50 of the slatwall extrusion 10, assembly 12, backlessextrusion 90 or rail 100. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11A-D, each hanger 60has a mounting bracket 61 for mounting it to the slatwall extrusion 10,assembly 12 or rail 100. The mounting bracket 61 has inside and outsidesurfaces 62 and 63, an upper portion 64 with a ledge or offset 65 and anupper most end 66, a middle portion 67 that is generally flat, and lowerportion 68 with a lower most end 69. The upper portion 64 has a lengthor height dimension of slightly less than the length of the lip 30 orabout one-half (½) inch. The combined length or height dimensions of themiddle and lower portions 67 and 68 of the hanger is about the combinedheight of one board 15 and a narrow portion 52 of slot 50, or about twoand a half (2-½) inches. The hanger 60 has an effective height for thepurpose of securing it to the slatwall extrusion 10, assembly 12,backless extrusion 90 or rail 100. For the hangers 60 shown, theeffective height of the hanger is determined by the effective height ofthe bracket 61. Given that the upper end 66 of the bracket 61 does notengage the wall 29 forming the top of the slot 50, the height of thelower and middle portions 67 and 68 of the bracket 61, the distancebetween its offset 65 and lower end 69, forms the effective height ofthe hanger 60 or bracket 61. This effective hardware height issubstantially equal to the lip/track height of the slatwall extrusion10, assembly 12, backless extrusion 90 and rail 100. Were the upper end66 of the bracket 61 to engage the wall 29 forming the top of the slot50, then the effective hanger height would be the distance between theupper and lower ends 66 and 69 of the bracket.

The hanger 60 has a hang rod 71 for supporting the goods or a shelf. Thehang rod 71 has one end 72 that is secured to the middle portion 67 ofthe bracket 61, a cantilevered middle portion 73 that extends generallyhorizontally when the hanger is secured to the slatwall 10, and aninclined end 74 that is angled up to keep the goods from sliding off thehanger 60. The cantilevered support 60 creates a torque that causes themiddle and lower portions 67 and 68 of the bracket 61 to push againstthe front wall 27 of the lower board 18, and the upper portion 64 topush against the inside surface 33 a of the lip 30 of the upper board17. When the hanger is in its secured position as in FIG. 3, the hanger60 and the weight of the goods it supports rests on the track 40. Thelip 30 and slot 50 formed by a set 16 of boards 17 and 18 combine withthe upper portion 64 of the bracket 61 to prevent the bracket fromrotating forward out of the slot 50 and out of supporting engagementwith the track 40. Although the hanger 60 is shown and described to havea particular shape, it should be understood that other hangers or piecesof hardware with other shapes, such as a hook or shelf bracket, could beused to support the goods, or a rack, tray or shelf for the goods,without departing from the broad aspects of the invention. For example,the mounting bracket 61 could be replaced by other components, or theupper portion 64 of the bracket could be formed by the hang rod 71.

The hangers are secured to adjacent boards 17 and 18 of the slatwallextrusion 10, 90 or assembly 12 in a multi-step process. These samesteps are used to secure the hangers 60 to the slatwall rail 100. First,the hanger 60 is angled backward into a tilted position 81 as in FIG.11A. The upper stepped portion 64 is inserted into the slot 50 until theupper most portion 66 clears the narrow outer portion 52 and enters thewider inner portion 54. The hanger 60 is then rotated forward by hand orotherwise into a generally vertical engaged position 82 as in FIG. 11B.The hanger 60 now engages the slatwall 10 but is not secured to theslatwall. Although the hanger 60 cannot rotate any further forward, itcan be rotated backward, which could cause it to become dislodged fromthe slatwall. Next, the hanger 60 is slid upward until the upper surfaceof the stepped portion 64 engages the lower end 32, 132 of the lip 30,130. The hanger 60 is now in a pre-snap fit position 83 and is ready tobe secured by and between the lip 30, 130 and track 40 of adjacentboards 17 and 18 or the rail 100 as in FIG. 11C. The lowermost end 69 ofthe hanger 60 is just below the tip 43 a of the rib 43 of the track 40.As discussed above, the front 43 b of the rim 43 of the track 40 isrounded so that pushing the lower most end 69 of the hanger towards thelower board 18, 126 causes the hanger 60 to move a little further up andelastically bends the track 40′ down to allow the lower most end 69 tosnap fit into the groove 45. The weight of the hanger 60 and the objectit supports causes the hanger to slide down onto the rail 42 so that theweight of the hanger and the object are supported by the track 40. Thehanger is now in its secured position 84 as in FIG. 11D. The lowermostend 69 of the hanger 60 is in groove 45 and abuttingly engaging the rail42, its flat middle and lower portions 67 and 68 flushly engage thefront surface 27 a of the front wall 27, and its upper stepped portion64 is inserted in slot 50 with its flat outer surface 63 flushlyengaging the inside surface 34 a of the lip.

The secure position 84 increases the load carrying capacity of thehangers 60 and allows for easy positioning and removal of the hangers.As discussed above, the inside surface 43 c edge of the upper end of therib 43 is flat and not rounded. The lowermost end 69 cannot be easilyknocked out so that the hanger 60 remains in its secure position 84 evenwhen the hanger or object is bumped. In addition, when the hanger 60 isin its secured position 84, a majority of the outer surface 63 of thevertical segment of the upper stepped portion 64 abuttingly engages theinside surface 33 a, 133 a of the lip 30, 130 of the upper slat 17 orrail 100. By having the hanger 60 extend higher up in the slot 50 sothat it presses against an upper portion of the lip 30, 130, less torqueis produced on the upper portion of the lip so that the lip moreeffectively resists outward bending and better retains its shape underload. In addition, the higher contact area requires more bending of thelip 30, 130 before the uppermost end 66 of the hanger 60 will clear thelower end 32 of the lip, which would allow the hanger to rotate forwardand out of the slot 50. Thus, the higher contact increases the holdingstrength of the slatwall 10, assembly 12 and rail 100, and their weightcarrying capacity. Although the hanger 60 is held firmly in place by thecooperating track 40 and slot 50 of the slatwall extrusion 10, assembly12 and rail 100, the hanger 60 is free to slide from side to side alongtheir length. This sliding allows the hangers 60 to be easily positionedor repositioned at a desired lengthwise location along the slatwallextrusion 10, assembly 12 or rail 100. In addition, the hanger 60 can beeasily removed from the track 40 and slot 50 by simply sliding thehanger to the end of the slatwall and off on of the side ends 10 a or 10b, or 100 a or 100 b.

While the invention has been described with reference to its preferredembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the broad aspects of the invention.

1. A slatwall assembly comprising: at least one piece of hardware, saidhardware having upper and lower portions, said upper portion having aledge and said lower portion having a lower end, said hardware having aneffective hardware height substantially equal to a distance between itssaid ledge and lower end; a plurality of slatwall extrusions, eachslatwall extrusion having at least one longitudinal slat, each said slathaving a uniform slat height, and each said slat having a front surface,a rear surface, a lower lip and a track, said lip having a lower end andan inside surface, said inside surface being positioned between its saidfront and rear surfaces, and said track extending from said frontsurface proximal said lower lip, said track having an upwardly extendingrim that defines a uniform longitudinal groove; said longitudinal slatsforming a set of adjacent slats including upper and lower slats, saidset of adjacent slats being aligned and spaced apart to form a uniformlongitudinal slot, said slot having a narrow portion proximal said frontsurface and a wider portion between said lip and said rear surface, saidadjacent slats defining a uniform lip/track height, said lip/trackheight being a distance between said lower end of said lip of said upperslat and said track of said lower slat, said effective hardware heightbeing between said slat height and said lip/track height; and, whereinsaid slot receives the upper portion of said hardware and said groove ofsaid lower slat securely receives said lower end of said hardware whensaid hardware is in a secure position.
 2. The slatwall assembly of claim1, and wherein said hardware has a mounting bracket that forms saidupper and lower portions of said hardware, said effective hardwareheight being an effective bracket height, and said ledge being formed byan offset of said bracket, and wherein said rim has a rim height, saideffective bracket height being a predetermined amount less than saidlip/track height, and said rim height is greater than said predeterminedamount, said lower end of said bracket snap-fitting into said groove. 3.The slatwall assembly of claim 1, and wherein said effective hardwareheight is substantially equal to said lip/track height, and said lowerend of said hardware rests on said track of said lower slat, saidhardware supporting the weight of an object and said track supportingthat weight.
 4. The slatwall assembly of claim 1, and wherein said slatshave a uniform slat height, said effective hardware height issubstantially equal to said slat height, said ledge of said hardwarerests on said upper end of said lower slat, said hardware supporting theweight of an object, and said upper end of said lower slat supportingthat weight.
 5. The slatwall assembly of claim 1, and wherein each ofsaid extruded slats has a continuous rear wall.
 6. The slatwall assemblyof claim 1, and wherein each of said extruded slats is backless.
 7. Theslatwall assembly of claim 1, and wherein each of said slatwallextrusions has upper and lower tabs for joining adjacent extrusions,said upper and lower tabs having a predetermined height to alignadjacent slatwall extrusions to form one of said uniform longitudinalslots.
 8. The slatwall assembly of claim 1, and wherein said trackextends from said lower end of said lip.
 9. The slatwall assembly ofclaim 1, and wherein said lip has a stiffening web spaced from saidlower end of said lip.
 10. The slatwall assembly of claim 9, and whereinsaid track extends parallel to said stiffening web.
 11. A slatwallextrusion for supportably securing a piece of hardware, the hardwarehaving upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a ledge andthe lower portion having a lower end, the hardware having an effectivehardware height substantially equal to a distance between its said ledgeand lower end, said slatwall extrusion comprising: a plurality of slats,each said slat having a uniform slat height, and each said slat having afront surface, a rear surface and a lower lip, each lip having a lowerend and an inside surface, said inside surface being spaced between itssaid front and rear surfaces, and a track extending from said frontsurface proximal said lower lip, said track having an upwardly extendingrim that defines a uniform, longitudinal groove; said plurality of slatsforming a set of adjacent slats including upper and lower slats, saidset of adjacent slats being aligned and spaced apart to form a uniformlongitudinal slot, said slot having a narrow portion proximal said frontsurface and a wider portion between said lip and said rear surface, saidset of adjacent slats having a lip/track height, said lip/track heightbeing substantially equal to a distance between said lower end of saidlip of said upper slat and said track of said lower slat, the effectivehardware height being between said slat height and said lip/trackheight; and, wherein said slot is adapted to receive the upper portionof the hardware and said groove of said lower slat is adapted to receivethe lower end of the hardware when said hardware is in a secureposition.
 12. The slatwall assembly of claim 11, and wherein thehardware has a mounting bracket that forms said upper and lower portionsof the hardware, the effective hardware height being an effectivebracket height, and the ledge being formed by an offset of the bracket,and wherein said rim has a rim height, the effective bracket heightbeing a predetermined amount less than said lip/track height, and saidrim height is greater than said predetermined amount, said lower end ofsaid bracket snap-fitting into said groove.
 13. The slatwall assembly ofclaim 11, and wherein the effective hardware height is substantiallyequal to said lip/track height, and said lower end of the hardware restson said track of said lower slat, the hardware supporting the weight ofan object and said track supporting that weight.
 14. The slatwallassembly of claim 11, and wherein said slats have a uniform slat height,the effective hardware height is substantially equal to said slatheight, said ledge of the hardware rests on said upper end of said lowerslat, the hardware supporting the weight of an object, and said upperend of said lower slat supporting that weight.
 15. The slatwallextrusion of claim 11, and wherein each of said extruded slats has acontinuous rear wall.
 16. The slatwall extrusion of claim 11, andwherein each of said extruded slats is backless.
 17. The slatwallextrusion of claim 11, and wherein each of said slatwall extrusions hasupper and lower tabs for joining adjacent slatwall extrusions, saidupper and lower tabs having a predetermined length, said upper and lowertabs having a predetermined height to align adjacent slatwall extrusionsto form one of said uniform longitudinal slots.
 18. The slatwallextrusion of claim 11, and wherein said track extends from said lowerend of said lip.
 19. The slatwall extrusion of claim 11, and whereinsaid lip has a stiffening web spaced from said lower end of said lip.20. The slatwall extrusion of claim 19, and wherein said track extendsparallel to said stiffening web.
 21. An extruded slatwall rail forsupportably securing a piece of hardware, said hardware having upper andlower portions, said upper portion having a ledge and said lower portionhaving a lower end, said hardware having an effective hardware heightsubstantially equal to a distance between its ledge and lower end, saidextruded slatwall rail comprising: a continuous rear wall having frontand rear surfaces, and including a slot forming portion with a forwardextending spacer wall; an upper lip having a front surface, said lipbeing joined to and spaced from said rear wall via a slot formingportion, said lip having a lower end and an inside surface, said insidesurface being positioned between said front surface of said lip and saidfront surface of said rear wall; a lower slat having a front wall with afront surface, said front wall being joined to said rear wall via upperand lower wall portions of said slat; a track extending from said frontsurface of said slat, and said track having an upwardly extending rimthat defines a uniform, longitudinal groove, said rail having alip/track height substantially equal to a distance from said track tosaid lower end of said lip, said hardware height being substantiallyequal to said lip/track height; a slot formed between said upper lip andsaid lower slat, said slot having a narrow portion proximal said frontsurfaces of said lip and slat and a wider portion between said insidesurface of said lip and said rear wall; and, wherein said slot isadapted to receive the upper portion of the hardware and said groove isadapted to receive the lower end of the hardware.
 22. The slatwallassembly of claim 21, and wherein said hardware has a mounting bracketthat forms said upper and lower portions of said hardware, saideffective hardware height being an effective bracket height, and saidledge being formed by an offset of said bracket, and wherein said rimhas a rim height, said effective bracket height being a predeterminedamount less than said lip/track height, and said rim height is greaterthan said predetermined amount, said lower end of said bracketsnap-fitting into said groove.
 23. The slatwall assembly of claim 21,and wherein said effective hardware height is substantially equal tosaid lip/track height, and said lower end of said hardware rests on saidtrack of said lower slat, said hardware supporting the weight of anobject and said track supporting that weight.
 24. The slatwall assemblyof claim 21, and wherein said slats have a uniform slat height, saideffective hardware height is substantially equal to said slat height,said ledge of said hardware rests on said upper end of said lower slat,said hardware supporting the weight of an object, and said upper end ofsaid lower slat supporting that weight.
 25. The extruded slatwall railof claim 21, and wherein said track extends from said lower wall of saidslat.
 26. The extruded slatwall rail of claim 21, and wherein said slathas a stiffening web spaced from said lower wall of said slat.
 27. Theextruded slatwall rail of claim 21, and wherein said track extendsparallel to said stiffening web.
 28. The extruded slatwall rail of claim21, and wherein said lip has front, rear and side walls that define ahollow interior, and wherein said walls of said slat define a hollowinterior.